What is the Paleo Diet?

The Paleo Diet was created by Dr. Loren Cordain, and popularized by her book, “The Paleo Diet”. The basic idea of the diet is to eat as our ancestors have eaten. According to Cordain, modern illnesses did not appear until the creation of agriculture about 10,000 years ago. 10,000 years is not adequate time for the human body to evolve to eat certain types of foods. 2.5 million years before the creation of agriculture, our ancestors were hunter-gatherers. Their diet consisted of mainly meat and any type of food they could gather such as vegetables, fruits, nuts, and tubers. Our ancestors were very healthy and possessed a great amount of strength and agility. Our bodies were not meant to digest certain foods which are common today in the Standard American Diet such as Grains, Legumes, and Dairy. The inclusion of these foods has lead to the formation of leaky gut, which is when foods irritate the gut and cause holes in the lining. When this occurs food particles leak through the holes and enter the blood stream, causing an autoimmune response. Leaky gut has been known to cause autoimmune and mental diseases. Our gut holds about 70% our immune system function, so keeping our guts healthy is essential.

                                           

                                         What are the Benefits of a Paleo Diet?


The Benefits of switching to a Paleo diet are numerous. It has been known to reverse modern illnesses such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and autoimmune diseases. Since this diet is how humans were meant to eat, introducing these foods back into our diets puts our bodies back into optimal health. Many people who start the diet note they have reversed their chronic illnesses, have more energy, get sick less often, and even sleep more soundly at night.

So What Should I Avoid when Starting a Paleo Diet?

There are several categories of foods to avoid when starting a Paleo diet. The foods in these categories are generally avoided because we lack the enzymes needed to break them down properly, they cause food intolerances, and they can lead to the formation of leaky gut. The categories are listed below:

• Grains: Avoid all types of grains such as wheat, rye, barley, quinoa, couscous, etc.

• Legumes: Avoid all types of beans, and peanuts (which are technically a legume). Peas are the only exception because they are usually well tolerated.

• Dairy: Avoid all dairy such as milk, ice cream, cheese, etc. Foods such as grass-fed butter, kefir, and yogurt can be incorporated into the diet as long as long as they are well tolerated.

• Additives: Avoid additives such as Aspartame and MSG, which can cause a wide array of symptoms such as headaches, fatigue, and brain fog.

• Processed Foods: Avoid anything that comes in a package such as junk food and boxed dinners. These foods are highly processed and do not contain any nutritional value. If you do opt for packaged foods on occasion, the ingredients list should contain no more than four ingredients, and you should be able to pronounce everything on the label.

What Can I Eat on This Diet?

If you're used to the Standard American Diet, it may seem like there is nothing left to eat. But I can assure you that there are plenty of satisfying foods that you can incorporate into your diet! It can take about 30 days to get used to the foods, since your body has to go through a detox process to get rid of all of the toxins that have accumulated in your system for so many years. Once you complete the detox period of 30 days your taste buds actually change, and nutrient dense foods taste more rich and satisfying. Below are the foods that are allowed on the diet:

• Meats: All types of meats are allowed. Grass-fed and pastured meats are highly recommended, as they contain a higher ratio of omega-3 acids, which have an anti-inflammatory effect on the body. Your meats should not have any antibiotics or hormones added to them. Processed meats such as deli meats, sausages, and bacon should be avoided. If you do opt to eat processed meats on occasion, try to find meats that are free of antibiotics, hormones, nitrates, and MSG.

• Vegetables: All Vegetables are allowed. Organic is highly recommended to avoid the conventional use of genetically modified organisms and harmful pesticides.

• Fruits: All types of fruits are allowed in moderation. Even though fruits contain natural sugars, if you are trying to lose weight this can work against you. Organic is highly recommended.

• Tubers and Starchy Vegetables: All types of tubers and starchy vegetables are allowed. These include potatoes (Peeled only), sweet potatoes, plantains, taro, yucca, etc. Organic is highly recommended.

• Nuts: All types of nuts are allowed, excluding peanuts (which are actually a legume).

It can be overwhelming at first, and if you have been eating a lot of processed foods for many years it can take quite a while to get used to such a nutrient dense diet. Although when starting the diet, the 80/20 rule can be adopted. The 80/20 rule basically means to eat Paleo 80% of the time, and anything on the not allowed list 20% of the time. That is of course provided that you do not have any type of autoimmune diseases. Now that you've learned the basics of the Paleo Diet, and you can start incorporating healthier foods into your diet!

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